"Tubes & Jujubes" craziness

On December 28th, 2009, Pat & I went to Tubes & Jujubes with 5 kids + one teenager and my sister & Tim. We had so much fun! It was quite the day with 5 kids running around and climbing everywhere. Here are some pictures :

Our first Christmas as married couple

Pat & I have been married for 6 months already! I was anticipating our first Christmas together in our little home with our little Christmas tree and everything. On the 24th, we were with Pat's family and the evening ended at 6 am in the morning. The 25th, at 11:00 am, so if you count right only 5 hours after, we were with my family at my parents' for lunch and stayed for supper too. On the 26th we had a family supper with my uncles, aunts and cousins from my dad side. I hadn't seen them for a while, it was fun! The 27th, we had Pat's cousin coming over for supper and then Do & Kim and then Vero's kids coming for a sleep over.. Then finally yesterday we went to Tubes et Jujubes with Tim, Liliane & Anaelle and Pat & I with 5 kids : Buntu, Rémé, Sabi, Angelina and Gabriel. Let me tell you how fun this was ! There are slides and games everywhere + running and climbing up and down with the kids! Ahah We were all so tired after but it was WORTH it :) So all this to say that Pat & I will be having are Christmas time of our own sometime soon but I have realise that it all stays the same even when you're married just in a different way !

Love Love Love ♥♥♥♥

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails...

I love this passage cause it is such a great challenge of a life time. If we think about it, the two greatest commandments are about love; Love your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind & Love your neighbor as yourself.

To truly, sincerely and faithfully love someone like God asks us to is definitely not a piece of cake! It requires much thought, time, energy, selflessness, dedication, work, practice in actions or words, and many more....

God gave us the perfect example of unconditional love when He send His one and only son to die on the cross for OUR sins. WOW.

Try to imagine taking the death penalty of a murderer, a thief, a rapist, a liar, a cheater...? Would you? Then try to imagine that your not dying for them as they say: "Thank you for taking my place! You're my hero...! I love you, your my savior..." But rather, they beat you up, spit in your face, say horrible things about you and laugh to your face while you're suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually...! How do you respond to this situation? How do you feel ?

How can we truly measure love, God's love ? We can only start to imagine but I don't think we can sincerely grasp the depths of God's amazing love and grace towards us, sinners.

This is why the Bible give us ways or ideas about how to love someone.. By being patient, being kind, to always hope, trust and persevere. By not being rude, self seeking or easily angered... and the list goes on!

Am I trying to genuinely love someone? If yes, am I trying the right way? I cannot really love someone if I have not experience love myself. Have you experience God's love in your life?

Let's try to love the right way ♥♥♥

Go Hard or Go Home ~ Lecrea

~ Lecrea~

Lord kill me If I don't preach the gospel

I'm still in my 20's- but I'll die if I got to

Eh man I''m Already dead- man forget my flesh

I done been crossed over, see the full court press

I'm a full court mess if the Lord don't use me

Running from my trials thinkin' everythangs groovy

If the Cross don't move me then I don't wanna breath no mo

If I ain't seeing Christ potna I don't wanna see no mo

Rep Him every day without worrying about bruising

I been to china mayne I seen some real persecution

If U didn't know Christ would ya life look the same

Can they tell you value Jesus by the way you rep his name?

man what's the point of living if I'm living for myself

Lord empty out my life before I put you on the shelf

So for God I got Hard I don't wanna die tonight

But It's too many people living who ain't heard about the Christ

Go Hard or Go Home

Lord Use Me Up

Went to Asia had to duck and hide-for sharin' my faith

They tell me water it down when I get back to states

They say tone the music down you might sell a lot a records

But it's people out here dying and none of em heard the message

Took my wifey on mission trip - in central america

Shared her testimony 40 people stood and stared at her

When she said Jesus shoulda seen it was insanecause 40 out of 40 never heard of Jesus name

Aw mayne we ain't focused on the war we just kickin' it

worried bout our image and our space up on the internet

take me out the game coach I don't wanna play no mo

If cant give it all I got and leave it out there on the court

Thank you for the Grace for the will and the desire

got me living for your glory stead of living to retire

But I pray I'll never tire of going hard for Messiah

I don't need no motivation You the reason I'm inspired.

Go Hard for the Lord 'til He takes us home

Go Hard for the Father

That mean that we, should be out up in the streets

Not just in houses with our Bible's summarizing what we read

Man this ain't deep why we ain't doing what we read

Its like we sleep

Act out, what He said/and make a scene for the LORD

Action-cut, say what, like he was the director

But you better get a Grip like movie sets, and get to stepping

I know you done it

da-done it, da-done-and heard it all

You was going hard for the Lord before you heard this song

But don't play yourself to save ya self/and walk in fear

Scripture's like a mirror/the truth is closer than it appears

GO hard or GO home !

I have to admit I wasn't so much into Rap before I met my husband. It's not that I didn't like it but it wasn't my first choice music. When I started to hang out with Pat, I had no choice but to listen to it, so I figured that I should start listening to the words before giving him some comments about this typical "gangster" music, so I called it then.

It took me a while to catch on every words they were singing, cause RAP is a mix of Rhythm and Poetry and is sometimes hard to understand. Once I got used to it, I found myself listening to some deep and encouraging words! Seriously, I was impressed of the way they have to say things that makes you think about real issues of life. I chose to put the lyrics of this song, cause it's one of my husband's favorite. Basically, Lecrea is trying to remind us to serve God with all our life and to never feel content about where were at ... Hence the GO hard or GO home, meaning if you don't go hard for Him then you might as well go home (in heaven) cause you're not doing your job down here on earth. It's powerful ! Pat sings it often and he would like for it to play at his funeral ... I'm not convince about that yet..., but there is surely a message to remember.

Do I 'Go Hard' every day?

Me amor ♥

This is just a little and short note about my husband, cause I know he wouldn't want me to talk to much about him...
BUT I really wanted you to know how good of a husband he is. Pat really is my love, my best friend, my shoulder to cry and the person who knows me in ways that nobody else does. Isn't that so special ! Pat is really slow to anger and quick to listen. He teaches me a lot on that... He loves to talk about everything and to reflect about things of life. He makes me laugh like crazy everyday, even when I'm just about to get mad at him he cracks me up. He cooks dinner for me when he knows I've had a loaded day. He cleans the house and do the dishes just cause he wants to let me know he loves me. He listens to me when I cry and is never to quick to give me solutions or advices... He takes care of me when I'm sick and lets me know I need to sleep, drink water.. Everything ! He surely is ready to be a doctor :) He loves to serve people and be with family and friends. He cares for our relationship and surprises me with some fun things to do. Like last weekend him and Do planned a get away weekend in Québec City cause he knew I really wanted to go visit and also go camping with some friends.
I think when we notice every little thing our husband do for us without taking it for granted but by being thankful for it, then we truly start to see how God is making him a better husband ♥
I love you Pat !

The 4 seasons of the year

As summer is soon bringing us into the fall, I started to wonder about what is so special about each one of the 4 seasons we are blessed to have in Canada. I'm always excited when it's time for a season to go and another to come transform our nature, habits and special moments. Here are some of my thoughts, memories and likes & dislikes about the seasons.

Summer; Sunshine, tan or sunburn, vacation, camp, no school, BBQ's with the family, camping, swimming in the lake, jogging outside, weddings, fishing, canoeing, smell of camp fire in my hair, marshmallow and cookies, landscaping, gardening, grass freshly cut, car wash, pick-nick, pool, kids laughing at the park, late suppers, family dinners, trips, clothes line, shooting stars, sandals, thunderstorm, rain, sunset, firework on Canada day and for Casino's competition... Farming, crops, animals....

Fall; I'm sure everyone has their own memory of the smell of fall. The smell of fresh wind, the smell of new books when school starts, the smell of cold but not to cold yet.... The leafs turning into beautiful colors and then falling to the ground, the pumpkin pies, apple picking, hiking in the woods, start of school, Halloween, hunting season, jumping in a pill of leafs, the first snow (sometimes...)

Winter: I love the felling of getting up one morning, sticking my nose to the window and seeing white snow covering the ground and then screaming to the house : "First snow is HERE ! wouhou !" In the winter there's skating, snowboarding, cross-country skying, making snowman, Christmas time; Jesus, Christmas light, tree, star, music, love, family time, special meals, shopping..... hot chocolate, apple cider, Beaver tales on the Canal, winter carnival in Ottawa, my birthday, snowstorm, valentine's day, red cheeks, shovelling snow, New year time, family reunions, cold temperature, walk outside when there's big snowflakes falling (so romantic), making angels in the snow or fort... the coats, the mittens, the scarfs, the boots, the hats... :)

Spring: Mud, water boots, flowers blooming, leafs growing, birds signing, water flowing again, Cabane à Sucre, exams and school ending, sun warming up, Easter time, moving, gardening, summer shoes shopping, the nice 'summer only' cars getting out, the boats getting taken to the water, the happiness of being outside without a big coat....

Tell me your memories or your thougths about each season ... ♥

My best friend

Today I would like to present you a precious and irreplaceable friend: Jessica Cloutier Mbarushimana ! I will have to start about 22 year ago (when I was born) and Jess was about 1 year old. Our parents were friends, Jessica's dad and my dad were really close friends and work on different cool projects together, went fishing, camping and much more. My maman and Jess' mom were also really good friends, taking good care of both their 3 girls they were the blondies and we were the brunettes! We spent a lot of time in their or our home growing up. I remember Jessica's house at Masson Anger and all the crazy stories, and games we would make up. I remember we use to spray some "Pledge" on her wondden bedroom floor and after putting socks on we would slide all the way across her room.. (aha). I remember all the 'houses' we built outside her home in her backyard. I remember her mom telling us stories so we would go to sleep or so she thought when she would leave the room. (hihi) Then when she would come back to the room because of the giggling noises we were doing, I would totally pretend I was asleep and let Jess get in trouble... But of course Mrs Cloutier knew I wasn't sleeping. I remember all our birthdays and crazy parties with the "fear factor" the gift wrapped in MANY layers, the game "le loup garou", the good laughs until we almost peed in our pants, ... Our parents always stayed close even when Jessica's dad pasted away. My dad, even until this day, can tell me story, with a tear in his eye, about Rocky and how strong he was and the good times they had together. I can't wait to actually meet him in heaven one day ♥ Time past and then 6th grade came and that was our year at 'La Moisson" the christian school in Aylmer. Jess and I really have a lot of memories there. Good or bad.. (aha) Camping at Lake Simon is probably the funniest one. I remember we had a water fight, then we went in the caves and decided to enter those caves by a little tiny whole between two big rocks. We almost ripped our swim suit appart and finlay got in to see the boys of our class passing us with a great big smile pointing at the entrance right beside us. The real entrance great and BIG.. aha . Then one day, after canoeing, Jess saw a lizard in the back toilet ! ahah that was really funny. We also have to mention that in 6th grade, every day when going to the bathroom we would ask each other : "So did you get them ?". We wanted to grow up so fast and be women. LOL.Then during high school our relationship faded away a little bit, we were busy with basketball and stuff but we always kept in touch. we cried, wondered, questionned and laughed together through all the trials we went through.After high school, I left for NBBI for three years. Jess also came for one year, the second year I was there. It was really a good learning time over there. God transformed us and taught us a lot of good lessons. This was the year Jess and Vic got engaged and were getting ready for their wedding in August 2005. Little did I know at that time that I would join the family 2 years after by dating Vic's cousin, Pat. Time pasted by and I finished Nbbi and met Pat in 2007. We started dating and Jess and I were now at the same family parties; Christmas time, birthdays... It's such a blessing to have your best friend in your family. We also have been taking care of youth group together at our church for the past two years and have been signing in the same music group (Case 2) for the past year or so (for me). Even if life wasn't always easy for Jess or I, we were always there for each other, to talk or listen or give advices or to just pray for each other. How special is this friendship ? Way more than I can praise God for! He knew our ways would meet from the beginning and knew the love and care we needed from each other. I am truly thankful for my wonderful friend Jess.She is so special, she definitely has a way of making you laugh in the worst moment of you life, she stands up for you when you need it, she tells you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear, she's faithful and true to her self. She definitely has a lot of great talents such as signing and being with the teen girls. She's beautiful inside out and she loves the Lord ! She was my maid of honour at my wedding this past June and I can honestly say that she has become my loyal friend and sister at heart ♥

Thanks Jess for all these memories of the past and all those that our coming !

God bless you ♥ x0x♥